Though he admits a certain discomfort with the moniker "King of Newgrass," Sam Bush has more than earned it. As cofounder and leader of the seminal progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival through 18 years during the 1970s and '80s, Bush may not be the only person responsible for newgrass, the wild bluegrass stepchild that features rock 'n' roll grooves and extended virtuosic jams, but since New Grass Revival's dissolution in 1989, Bush has certainly been one of the most brilliant of newgrass's many bright lights.
Besides helming the ever-popular Sam Bush Band, featured on the acclaimed release Laps in Seven, the mandolin prodigy from Kentucky has been a prodigious influence on musicians young and old. Bands like Nickel Creek, Yonder Mountain String Band, and String Cheese Incident, to name just a few, are indebted to Bush's example, not only in his wide-ranging choice of material and rock-based acoustic grooves, but by his captivating, high-energy live shows, which have made him an in demand headliner, and fan fave at important festivals like Telluride and MerleFest.
When not heading his own band, Bush has spent the past 15 years as a supersideman with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, and the Flecktones; spearheaded boundary-stretching collaborations with Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor, and David Grisman, and driven nearly every "bluegrass supergroup" imaginable with his inimitable mandolin playing.
Opening the show is The Band Of Heathens. Originally conceived as a loosely-knit collective showcasing four of Austin's best up-and-coming artists, Band of Heathens is quickly becoming one of the most exciting new acts in American music. The idea for this collective hatched from a Wednesday night residence that saw the four principle songwriters sharing the bill as separate acts. In the spring of 2006, as an experiment, the men decided to play a show where they would share the stage equally and collaborate on each other's songs. Largely improvised and unrehearsed, the initial endeavor took on a life of its own. Quickly, the four individual voices began blending together to form a unique and distinct harmony. In September 2008, they released their debut, self-titled studio album (after two live releases), which vaulted straight to the top of the Americana Music Charts.
Tickets are $25, $30, $35 and are available in person at the KiMo Box Office and through all Ticketmasteroutlets (TM phone: 505-883-7800).
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Opening the show is